Universal Journal of Educational Research 6(9): 2019-2028, 2018
org
DOI: 10.13189/ujer.2018.060921
The Effect of Using Educational Games in Teaching
Kingdoms of Living Things
Meryem Selvi1,*, Ayşe Öztürk Çoşan2
1
Department of Biology Education, Faculty of Education, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey
2
National Education Directorate, Ankara, Turkey
Copyright©2018 by authors, all rights reserved. Authors agree that this article remains permanently open access under
the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 International License
Abstract This study aims to investigate the effects
of using scientific educational games in teaching
Kingdoms of Living Things on students’ academic
achievement and retention of knowledge. The study also
assessed students’ perceptions of these educational games.
68 ninth grade students constitute the study group of this
research. In the school in which the instruction was carried
out two ninth grade classes were randomly assigned as
experimental group and control group. The
implementation of the study lasted seven weeks as three
lesson hours per week. The same method of lecturing was
carried out in the experimental and control groups.
Review of the topics was made by researcher through the
question-answer method and giving the activities in the
textbook as homework in the control group. In the
experimental group, educational games were used to
review, reinforce and assess the topics. At the end of the
study the score of posttest and the retention test
implemented six month after showed a significant
difference in favor of experimental group. The results put
forth that educational games enhance students’
achievement and are an effective tool in providing the
retention of new knowledge. Within the scope of the study,
the experimental group students’ views on the use of
educational games were obtained at the end of
implementation, which were generally positive. The
students found the games informative, entertaining and
reinforcing their learning, and stated that they are
effective in enabling the retention of new knowledge,
promoting collaboration with their peers, and increasing
their interest and motivation for learning.
Keywords Educational Games, Biology, Teaching,
Retention of Knowledge, Student Achievement,
Kingdoms of Living Things
1. Introduction
Students of content-rich subjects such as biology are
http://www.hrpub.
prone to memorizing instead of learning by thorough
comprehension. When learning such subject matter,
students simply memorize the knowledge without
processing it; thus, this knowledge is quickly forgotten.
Traditional didactic teaching is a teacher-centered method
carried out without any interaction between the teacher and
students or among students themselves, and generally leads
to boring and ineffective lessons [35]. Students can go
beyond memorizing and realize a higher level of thinking
only when they test their mental models related to a
concept through problem-solving, inquiry, group work,
being active with the subject matter. In order for students
to achieve such a deep comprehension, educators generally
favor classroom activities that encourage active learning
[35]. Students can learn more effectively through active
learning, a process whereby students directly participate in
their own learning by interacting with other students to
think critically and bolster the learning of new concepts.
During these interactions, students might explain a concept
to each other in different ways or express unnoted issues.
This is not only a method of review but also a process
requiring analysis and critical thinking [26]. Educational
games require students’ active participation in the learning
process.
Educational games are, at the same time, considered an
effective alternative to supporting traditional teaching
approaches in terms of educators’ responsibility, such as
inspiring students to learn, teaching them to love learning,
and making learning fun [25]. These responsibilities are
often neglected in science education because students’
motivation towards and participation in lessons is usually a
challenging task for in-class teaching, as is still discussed
in many studies [16]. However, students become more
enthusiastic to learn when learning takes place in a fun and
interactive way [34]. Educational games are an interactive
approach to boosting active learning and motivation, and
encouraging teamwork [30]. Games have an important role
in realizing active learning since they include both
interactive and distinctive elements [33]. They not only
make learning more entertaining but also encourage
2020 The Effect of Using Educational Games in Teaching Kingdoms of Living Things
students’ in-class participation and foster their attitudes
towards learning [18]. Moreover, students who are
motivated and included in the teaching method can have a
more successful learning outcome, yielding a permanent
body of knowledge which can later be recalled [33].
Educators can use games for various purposes such as
reinforcing a previously learned topic, teaching new
concepts, and motivating students to participate [Kirk as
cited in 26]. Educational games can be used at the
beginning and end of a lesson. For this reason, they can
foster students’ interest and motivation towards lessons, or
review, reinforce and assess the learned topics. Therefore,
educational games promote students’ active participation
in lessons and thus assist with their learning [36].
There is a great deal of research revealing the influence
of educational games on learning. Odenweller, Hsu, and
DiCarlo, (1998) indicated that games are successful in
promoting the learning of concepts, and that they allow
students to discuss target concepts. Ogershok, and Cottrell
(2004) suggests that the educational game motivated
students to improve their knowledge of pediatric medicine.
Cardona, Spiegel, Alves, Ducommun, Henriques‐Pons,
and Araújo-Jorge (2007) stated that the educational game
that used in the study can develop a good teaching
approach that helps teach complex content in molecular
biology. Olimpo, Davis, Lagman, Parekh, and Shields,
(2010) stated that the educational game they used enhance
student learning of basic biology terms. Barclay, Jeffres,
and Bhakta, (2011) reported incorporating educational
games into instruction developed significant increases in
cardiology, infectious diseases, and pharmacy practice
assessment scores. Bhaskar (2014) found that the game
helped students improve their understanding of blood
grouping to review their existing knowledge. Osier (2014)
reported that the educational game has a significant effect
on students’ performance of genetic terms. Carew (2018)
game was a method for comprehension of physiology. The
results of these studies with different student groups in
various aspects of biology reveal that educational games
can be used to support traditional teaching and learning of
students in the teaching process.
Biology students often have difficulty grasping
biological concepts. For example, many students need to
memorize complex words to understand the topic, which
distracts them from the lesson [17]. For this reason,
methods to ensure students’ motivation and participation
should be incorporated into the teaching process. The topic
of Kingdoms of LivingThings, a ninth-grade biology unit
in which students experience difficulties in learning, was
examined in this study. In teaching this unit, five fun and
educative games that contributed to students’ learning of
this unit and increase their interest [25], were developed to
reinforce and review the concepts in the unit through
utilizing attractive methods. The study investigated the use
of educational games on the students’ achievements and
the retention of knowledge, as well as their views on the
use of educational games.
2. Method
The study was designed as a multi method study that
utilized a quasi-experimental design with pre- and post-test
control group, and descriptive qualitative research method.
2.1. Participants
68 ninth grade students participated in the study from an
Anatolian high school in Turkey, and 34 students were
included in each of the experimental and control groups.
Participants in the study were identified by convenience
sampling method in the high school which the second
researchers perform as a teacher. Two ninth grade classes
were randomly assigned as the experimental and control
group. A total of 15 of the students were male, and 19 were
female for each group. The students’ ages ranged from
14-15 years.
2.2. Data Collection Tools
The Achievement Test developed by the researchers, the
view form on the use of educational games and research
observation diary were used to collect data.
Kingdoms of Living Things Achievement Test
In the preparation and design process of the achievement
test, a table of specifications indicating the objectives of the
Kingdoms of Living Things unit in the ninth-grade biology
curriculum was developed. For the validity of test the
distribution of questions about the learning objectives was
determined according to the weight of each objective to the
overall unit; therefore, the Kingdoms of Living Things
Achievement Test, comprising 35 multiple-choice
questions, was developed by the researcher. Opinions of
one biology education field expert and three biology
teachers about the questions’ scientific appropriateness and
content validity were considered. Furthermore, two
Turkish language and literature teachers also examined the
questions in terms of language and expression. Based on
their feedback, necessary adjustments were made to the test.
The reliability investigation of the corrected and finalized
form of KLTAT was carried out with 176 tenth-grade
students from an Anatolian high school. The item analysis
was made for the data obtained, and the item difficulty and
discrimination indices (rjx) were calculated using
ITEMAN 4 software. After completing the item analysis
for each item, the distracter of three items whose
discriminative indices were between 0.20 and 0.29 was
readjusted and these final versions were included in the test.
A Cronbach α reliability coefficient of 0.87 was found for
the entire test. The item analysis revealed an average item
difficulty of 0.570 and an average item discrimination of
0.580, which indicated that KLTAT yields valid and
 Universal Journal of Educational Research 6(9): 2019-2028, 2018
reliable results.
Observation Diary
An observation log recorded the second researcher’s
observations during each game. The researcher observed
the course of each game, discussions taking place during
games, students’ reactions, and the reflections of the
teaching and learning processes, and recorded these
observations in the observation log.
View Form on the Use of Educational Games
A view form on the use of educational games, which was
developed by the researchers and based on the experts’
opinions and related literature, was applied to the students
in the experimental group after completing all games. This
form comprises four open-ended questions to determine
the students’ views of the effectiveness of the educational
game.
2.3. Implementation
The implementation of the study lasted seven weeks as
three lesson hours per week. Prior to the implementation,
the Kingdoms of Living Things Achievement Test was
applied to both groups to determine their equivalence.
After applying the pre-test, the lecturing was carried out in
the same way in both groups. During this process, the
interactive whiteboards and textbooks were used, and
essential parts of the lesson were noted down by the
students. In the control group, students were required to
review the lesson using the question-answer technique and
assigning activities in the textbook as an assignment. In the
experimental group, on the other hand, educational games
were used to assist the review, reinforcement and
assessment of the lesson material.
Five different educational games about different
sub-topics of the Kingdoms of Living Things unit were
developed and used for teaching the experimental group.
These games were developed by the researchers based on
their imagination and using daily card games and educative
web contents. When designing the games, particular
attention was paid to the ninth-grade biology course
objectives, students’ age group and the appropriateness of
the game to their level. Necessary changes were made to
the games based on the feedback received from one
university lecturer (Biology Education), three biology
teachers, two classroom teachers and 102 tenth-grade
students with whom the pilot study was conducted. The
educative card games used in the study were labeled as
Bio-Know-Win, Bio-Find-Match, Bio-Taboo, Bio-Risk,
and Kingdoms of Living Things, and were implemented in
the same order. The games were played at the end of the
topic and designed to cover the previous topics as well.
Therefore, the previous topics were reinforced by
reviewing them with various games. The teachers’ role and
the implementation stages of educational games were
2021
considered in the implementation of these games. For this
reason, the tables in the classroom were arranged in
clusters to prepare the classroom for the group game. The
groups were formed appropriately to the characteristics of
the game and the game materials were prepared for each
group. The researcher made all necessary explanations and
performed an example in order for the students to
understand the game. Also, the game instructions in written
form were made available on the table of each group. The
hourglass was used to measure the time during the game.
Particular attention was paid to include the game within the
lesson hours. The researcher who administered the game
observed the students’ behaviors and recorded it in the
observation diary.
The achievement test, which was previously applied
pre-test, was applied post-test to both groups. In addition,
the view form on the use of educational games was applied
to the experimental group. Six months after the
implementation of the post-test, the test was applied once
again to determine the retention of their scores on KLTAT.
2.4. Data Analysis
SPSS 17 (Statistical Package for the Social Science) was
used to analyze the quantitative data. T-test was used to
compare the experimental and control groups’ scores on
the pre-test, post-test, and retention test scores. Content
analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data obtained
from the open-ended questions in the View Form on the
Use of Educational Games. The researchers conducted an
in-depth analysis of both the coding schema and codes
assigned to the participants and consequently reached a 100%
agreement.
3. Results
3.1. Quantitative Results
Unpaired samples t-test results regarding the control and
experimental group students’ pre-test achievement scores
are shown in Table 1.
Table 1. Unpaired samples t-test results regarding the control and
experimental group students’ pre-test achievement scores
Group N x̄ s sd t p
Control 34 8.09 1.58 66 -.909 .367
Experimental 34 7.62 2.57
No significant difference was found between the control
and experimental group students’ pretest achievement
scores [t (66) = -.909, p>.005]. This result showed that the
control and experimental groups’ pretest achievement
scores are similar.
Unpaired samples t-test results regarding the control and
experimental group students’ post-test achievement scores
2022 The Effect of Using Educational Games in Teaching Kingdoms of Living Things

are shown in Table 2. 3.2. Quantitative Results

Table 2. Unpaired samples t-test results regarding the control and Results Regarding the View Form on the Use of
experimental group students’ post-test achievement scores
Educational Games
Group N x̄ s sd t p The question “What are your views on the use of
Control 34 12,09 2,72 66 16,666 ,000 educational games in the Kingdoms of Living Things unit
of the biology course?” was posed to the students in the
Experimental 34 26,62 4,29 View Form on the Use of Educational Games. Their
responses to this question were analyzed and the codes
The average score of the experimental group students
driven based on this analysis are shown in Table 4.
(x̄=26.62, s=4.29) was higher than that of the control group
students (x̄=12.09, s=12.09). A significant difference was Table 4. Students’ Views on the Use of Educational Games
found between the experimental and control group students’
Students’ views Frequency
posttest achievement scores [t(66)=16.666, p<.005; d=4.05].
The Cohen’s d was calculated to determine the effect size Games enabled me to learn 30
of the study and it was found to be 4.05. According to Design and content of the games was appealing 26
Cohen (1988), this value indicates a large effect size. Games were entertaining 25
Considering the control and experiment groups’ average Games promoted knowledge retention 22
scores on the pretest and post-test shown in Table 1 and
Games provided collaboration 20
Table 2, it was seen that there is a difference between the
averages of the pretest and post-test. The average scores of Games increased my interest in the lesson 12
each group increased after the instruction; however, the Games enabled me to review 9
increase was higher in the experimental group, which was Games fostered my motivation 8
taught using the educational games. I did not get bored in the lesson at all 7
Unpaired samples t-test results regarding the control and
Games made me like the lesson 6
experimental group students’ retention test scores are
shown in Table 3. Games boosted my confidence 2
I corrected my mistakes 2
Table 3. Unpaired samples t-test results regarding the control and
experimental group students’ retention test scores Games provided me to participate in the lesson 1

Group N x̄ s sd t p As Table 4 shows, the students highlighted that (f=30)

the use of educational games promoted their learning.
Control 34 10.91 2.44 66 18.100 .000
Following that, a vast majority of the students (f=26)
Experimental 34 21.94 2.58 presented opinions on the design and content of games.
*p<0.05 Also, the students indicated that the games were fun (f=25),
promoted knowledge retention (f=22), provided
The average score of the experimental group students opportunities to collaborate (f=20), and made the lesson
(x̄=21.94, s=3.21) was higher than that of the control group enjoyable (f=18). In addition, some students expressed that
students (x̄=10.91, s=2.58). A significant difference was the use of educational games enabled them to review,
found between the experimental and control group students’ increases their motivation, keeps them engaged in the
retention test scores [t(66)= 18,100, p<,005; d=4,39]. The lesson, and boosts their confidence. Some of the students’
Cohen’s d was calculated to determine the effect size of the views on the first question are shown below. S1
study and it was found to be 4.39. According to Cohen highlighted the contribution of games to learning and stated
(1988), this indicates a large effect size. that he or she liked the games in terms of their form and
Considering the average scores stated in Table 3, the content while expressing his or her opinions on the use of
averages of the experimental group students were still games.
significantly higher than that of their counterparts in the
control group six months later than the implementation. S1: The games enabled us to understand and learn
It has been determined that the educational games used the topics better. We did not forget what we have
during the teaching of Kingdoms of Living Things Unit learned in the games for a long time. In addition,
contributed significantly to the achievements of the the games were colorful and clear. It is rather sad
students and also they were effective in maintaining the that this happens only for the biology course.
retention of their achievements. It can be said that the Playing the games with our peers also enabled us to
questions and tasks contained in the educational games correct our mistakes. The games were well
facilitate the learning of the students by activating the designed and were at a level that we can
various cognitive processes and increase the retention of understand.
knowledge. S27, similarly reported that the games improved the
 Universal Journal of Educational Research 6(9): 2019-2028, 2018
retention of his or her knowledge and made them
understand the importance of collaboration, and reported
the following about the games in terms of their form and
content:
S27: It was catchy. It caused us to like the biology
course. We also understood the importance of
group study. We expressed what we know in a
better way. It provided us to find different
alternatives. The games made us review and
therefore reinforce the topic. The games were quite
colorful. It was appropriate to our level, which
enables us to play the games with fun.
S13 and S18 expressed that the games made them enjoy
the lesson and encouraged communication with their peers,
in addition to improving their understanding of the topic.
S13: The games were beautiful. I entertainingly
played with my friends by learning. It helped us to
comprehend the lesson better. My communication
with my friends increased. It caused me to more
like the biology course. My self-confidence was
fostered with the games.
S18: Our interest in the biology course increased
with the visually enriched and entertaining games.
We learned the topics more easily. We did not get
bored in the lesson. Our motivation increased;
therefore, all these reflected our exams well. Our
relationship with our friends strengthened. I like to
see and play the games once again.
Table 5. Students’ Views on the Contributions of Learning with
Educational Games
Students’ Views Frequency
Games made easier to learn. 19
Games provided knowledge retention 19
Games enabled me to have fun 14
Games provided me to be active in the lesson 12
My interest in the lesson increased 11
I collaborated with other students 11
I became engaged in the lesson 9 I tried to overcome my deficiencies. My interest in
My motivation increased 8 the biology course increased. I was eager to come
I corrected my mistakes 8 to lessons. I tried to listen to the topics more
My self-confidence was boosted 8
I became more successful 7
I overcame my deficiencies 6
I assessed my learning 5
Games made me enjoy the lesson 4 much. We were able to reach a higher success
Another student (23) stated, “Thanks to the educational
games, the topics which are not interesting to me become
more entertaining and joyous. My interest and participant
in the lesson even more increased. Competition in the
course enables us to spend even more entertaining and
joyous time.” This testimony highlights that, in addition to
the characteristics of the games mentioned by the other
students, the competitive atmosphere created by the games
2023
in the classroom was also entertaining to the students.
The question “What kind of contributions did make to
you by learning with games?” was also posed to the
students. Their responses to this question were analyzed
and the codes driven based on this analysis are shown in
Table 5.
As Table 5 indicates, approximately half of the students
expressed that the games improved their learning
experience by facilitating learning, providing knowledge
retention, and increasing motivation. Moreover, some
students indicated that the games promoted active
participation in the lesson, collaboration with their peers,
learning without getting bored, boosted self-confidence,
overcoming deficiencies and mistakes, and assessing their
own learning. The views of some students on the second
question are shown below. For example, S3 states that the
games promoted their active participation and expressed
their views as follows: “My interest in the lesson increased.
My relationships with my friends developed with these
beautiful games. We even more socialized with each other.
Now, I am much more active in lessons. I had a chance to
identify all things. It would be better if the lessons are
taught with games.” Another student (S5) stated that in
addition to improving their memory of the lesson, the
games enable the development of some skills and
expressed his or her views on this issue as follows: “I can
easily recall the knowledge I was not used to be able to
keep in my mind. My skills of speaking and explaining
increased. I recognized my mistakes and deficiencies
during the games and therefore had a chance to correct
them.”
Some students expressed that during the lessons, they
were engaged, had fun while learning, and that their
interest and motivation towards the lesson increased. Of
those students, S6 and S14 explained their views on this
issue as follows:
S6: Learning the lessons with games was quite
entertaining and educative. I had a chance to assess
my learning since I participated in the game myself.
carefully because I tried to score higher by
answering the questions in the games.
S14: It enabled us to learn in the lesson without
getting bored since we lost track of time. I was able
to express myself in the game. I liked this very
forming groups with my friends, which made me
very happy.
S24: My self-confidence boosted. It helped me to
recall the topics. My interest in the lesson increased.
Thanks to these games, my motivation and interest
in learning increased. My attention during the
lesson deepened.
Considering the students’ statements, it was clear that
2024 The Effect of Using Educational Games in Teaching Kingdoms of Living Things
the use of educational games during the lessons positively
influenced their learning.
The question “Was there any moment during the game
which negatively influenced you?” was posed to the
students. The games were not perceived to have a negative
effect.
Lastly, the question “How do you compare the
educational game method and other methods used in the
lesson?” was posed to the students. The students compared
the educational games with other traditional methods and
listed the characteristics of educational games, as seen in
Table 6.
Table 6. Students’ Views on the Comparison of the Use of Educational
Games and Other Methods
Students’ views Frequency
It is effective in learning 27
It is not monotonous/boring 25
It is entertaining 17
It promotes knowledge retention 15
It encourages active participation 11
It is interesting 8
It increases motivation 8
It made the lesson interesting 6 learning should be applied to all courses. For example, S15
It promoted collaboration with my
4
peers
It develops self-confidence 2
A vast majority of the students expressed that the use of
educational games promoted effective learning (f=27) and
they are not boring (f=25). Some students are of the
opinion that the use of educational games outclasses other
methods when compared because educational games are
entertaining, promote knowledge retention and active
participation, are interesting, increase motivation, make
one to like the lesson, provide collaboration, and boost
self-confidence. The students’ statements revealed that
traditional methods used in lesson often caused them to get
bored, made them unable to apply themselves in the lesson,
moved away them from the lesson, and prevented their
participation in the lesson. S2 and S6, who are of this
opinion, explained their views as follows:
S2: The educational game method, compared to
other methods used in lessons, provided us to learn
in a more entertaining way and made this learning
more permanent. While other methods made us
bored in the lessons and caused us to aspire for the
break time, we lost track of time during the
educational games and aspired to the next game. It
is a very successful method.
S6: Other lessons are very boring since the teacher
always lecture and I detach myself from the lesson,
I become off. In the games, however, I was able to
learn easily in an entertaining way without getting
bored. Together with my friends, we scored good
points using our knowledge. I was able to express
myself. Since I am a silent student, I was not that
able to participate in the lesson.
S6 highlighted that in addition to preventing lessons
from being boring, the games enabled him or her to express
him or herself better and encouraged his active
participation. Similar, S20 reported, “Most of us become off
during the lessons since the teacher often starts with
lecturing then make us write. However, when we learned
our lessons with games, our learning become more
permanent and our visual memory developed. Since we
learned with fun, I even lost track of time, which increased
my motivation. I want to participate in lessons more than it
was always before.” S17 also stated that educational games
during the lesson increased his or her motivation towards
the lesson and promoted learning: “I do not find other
methods used in lessons effective because I at most apply
myself for 20 minutes while the teacher lectures on the
board. At the half of the lesson, I do not understand the
topic, unfortunately.”
Some students argued that educational games are very
appropriate for the biology course and made them like the
lesson. Some students (S15, S28, S19, S25, S26, S21, S8,
S27, S4, S3, and S11) proposed that this approach to
stated that “I think that games are very effective primarily
in making one like the lesson. Teachers only lecture in
other lesson and do not use any visual material. However,
we learned the biology lesson with visual cards, games and
competitions. I wish it to be the same for other courses.”
The students indicated that educational games are useful
and more effective compared to other methods. They added
that traditional methods are boring and prevented them
from focusing. On the contrary, they learn better when
active in games; thus, games support their retention of
knowledge. The following student statement (S22)
supports this:
S22: I think that educational games are better
compared to traditional lesson methods because we
do not get bored in the lesson. Lessons become
more entertaining and therefore more efficient. I
study to win the game and this makes my learning
more permanent. This system is awesome. I learned
with fun. This was also beneficial for my exams.
The opinions of the students about the educational
games are quite positive as understood from the above
expressions. The students found the games informative,
entertaining and reinforcing their learning, and stated that
they are effective in enabling the retention of new
knowledge, promoting collaboration with their peers, and
increasing their interest and motivation for learning These
positive characteristics of educational games perceived by
students may have contributed to the cognitive learning by
affecting the affective characteristics of the students.
When playing the games, the students’ behaviors and
 Universal Journal of Educational Research 6(9): 2019-2028, 2018
reactions were observed and recorded in the observation
log. Results from the observation of each game are
presented below.
During the Bio-Know-Win game, it was observed that
the students were quite eager and focused on the game. It
was noteworthy that the group members established
effective communication amongst each other and that
silent students became more active and made an effort to
answer the questions. The students seemed to be impatient
for their turn to play the game and they listened to the game
questions quietly and carefully. No noise or disruptions
took place in the classroom and the game proceeded as
planned. Most of the students wanted to play the game
again once their turn had ended. While playing the
Bio-Know-Win game, the students were observed to be
motivated, collaborated and communicated with their peers,
and had fun.
During the Bio-Find-Match, the students followed the
cards opened by other students with a great attention. Some
students were unable to match the cards because he or she
did not recognize the visual of a living thing despite his or
her knowledge of its characteristics. In addition, enlivened
and productive dialogues took place among students. Upon
completing the game, the groups requested to play again.
All students were active and had fun during the game. In
particular, the students who barely participated in lessons
(S4, S6, S10, S14 , S22, S29, S32) actively participated in
the game and were successful.
During the Bio-Risk game, the students were quiet at
first. However, as the game proceeded, their excitement
increased and the overall classroom environment was
transformed. This, however, did not cause noise or
disruptions. As the score gap between the groups enlarged,
the students became impatient and made an effort to
respond to the questions correctly. The students followed
the rules and a respectful attitude was observed among the
competing groups. The students tried to develop strategies
to score higher during the game and avoided selecting risky
questions. Even though three students stated that they did
not like that players could go bankrupt in the game, it was
observed that the bankrupt cards made the game more
entertaining and competitive. When asked questions by the
researcher, some students had the chance to correct their
mistakes. The students expressed that they had a great time
and that they would like to play the game once again. Some
students continued playing the game during the break.
The Bio-Taboo game involved all unit topics and was
therefore played at the end of the unit. Most of the students
expressed that they had a lot of fun during this game as they
did in other games. It was noted that explaining the words
in a scientific manner made a considerable contribution to
the students’ comprehension of the topic. During the game,
it was monitored that the students have a great time in
expressing the words of the taboo cards. It was remarkable
that the students who had barely participated in previous
lessons performed well in the game. The students
2025
experienced a very active and fluent process in the game.
During the game, the students seemed to be comfortable,
expressed themselves without any difficulty, and exhibited
a good relationship between them. They easily recognized
the living things on the cards that am I and also experienced
exciting times with the chance cards. All groups completed
the game at approximately the same time. Some students
stated that they wanted to play the game again.
The Kingdoms of Living Things game requires students
to match visuals with living things in the classification
schema while they have fun without experiencing any
difficulty. The students were asked to recognize the visual
of living things, including all kingdoms learned throughout
the unit. All students, without any difficulty, were able to
put the living things whose visual is given under the correct
kingdom. The game proceeded fluently and created a
competitive environment. It was observed that the students
carried out the classification of the visual with great
attention. During the classification, other students cheered
to support their friends.
The students were observed to have fun during each
game, and their interest in the topic and learning increased.
In addition, they actively participated in the teaching
process, collaborated and communicated with their peers,
and students who did not participate in the lessons where
traditional methods are performed began to participate in
the lesson with the help of educational games.
4. Conclusions and Discussions
This study investigated the effect of the use of
multifaceted and entertaining educational games to review
and reinforce students’ knowledge of the Livings Things
Universe unit on their academic achievement and
knowledge retention. The results revealed a significant
difference in favor of the experimental group students. The
results of the retention test, which was applied six months
after the implementation, also corroborated this result. It
was also found that educational games increased students’
achievement and served as an effective tool for promoting
the retention of new knowledge. Similarly, Liu and Chen
(2013) in their study conducted with primary school
students investigated students’ performance in learning
science-related concepts using a card game. They found
that the game was effective and increased students’
academic success and their knowledge retention. In a
different study, Lewis, Peat, and Franklin (2005) used
interactive game cards to teach protein synthesis to
freshman biology students. At the end of the lesson
implementation, it was showed that by using games the
learning takes place more easily. Spiegel et al. (2008)
reported that educational games serve as an alternative
approach to teaching complex cell and molecular biology
topics to secondary school students. Osier (2014) put
forward that the educational game designed by university
2026 The Effect of Using Educational Games in Teaching Kingdoms of Living Things
students to review basic terms and vocabulary about
genetics has a significant effect on students’ performance.
Similar to this study, Su, Cheng, and Lin (2014)’s study,
conducted with eleventh-grade students, found that the use
of educational games has a noticeable potential to facilitate
students’ learning of how the immune system functions,
and that students who learned through playing the game are
significantly more successful than their counterparts. As
corroborated by the results of this study, Su, Cheng, and
Lin (2014) revealed that their participants’ perceptions
towards game-based teaching and teaching activity and
think that game-based lessons were positive, as they
reported them to be much more interesting than traditional
didactic lessons. Cardoso et al. (2008) posited that games
support high school students’ learning of molecular
biology and constitute a more active learning profile. The
participants of the aforementioned study also added that
games are an easy and interesting tool to learn the topic.
Cavalho, Beltramini, and Bossolan (2018) investigated the
contribution of games to high school students’ conceptual
understanding of protein synthesis. They found that games
help students to achieve conceptual objectives and to
develop a model of protein synthesis and that collaborative
and competitive interaction raised by games can encourage
students’ meaningful and future learnings. They concluded
that games with these characteristics can be used as a
didactic tool in classrooms.
The students in the experimental group commented on
the use of educational games during lessons. Their
responses and interpretations revealed that the use of
educational games in the teaching process helps students to
learn and improve certain skills, as well as increase their
academic success and knowledge retention. The students
listed the benefits of educational games:
 They make the lesson more entertaining
 They promote collaboration among students
 They encourage active student participation
 They increase motivation towards the lesson
 They make lessons enjoyable and attract attention
to the topic
 They encourage effective communication among
students
 They facilitate learning and provide visual learning
 They enable students to express themselves
 They help students to reinforce their knowledge by
reviewing the topics
 They keep students engaged in the material
 They empower students to correct their own
mistakes
 They enable to overcome challenges
 They boost students’ self-confidence
Similar to those found in this study, many studies in the
related literature on using games to teach various topics
[2,3,4,5,7,8,15,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,32,35,37,38]
report that teaching with games enhances students’
motivation as well as increases their motivation, promotes
active participation in lessons and the development of
positive attitudes, and makes lessons more entertaining and
pleasant.
However in real life games have a winner and loser,
there is actually no loser in educational games. Because by
educational games students learn many scientific concepts
and methods and also develop positive attitude towards
science [14]. Su, Cheng, and Lin (2014) reported that an
effective learner requires motivation to participate in the
learning activity and to use various strategies to facilitate
his or her own learning. In this regard, educational games
can be used as an effective and powerful tool for students
and as an approach to support the traditional teaching of
biology, which has a rich content in terms of abstract
concepts and terms. This is because cognitive processes are
very influenced by emotions and there is a deep
relationship between emotional variables and learning
process. Therefore, it was thought that the use of
educational games enhances motivation and consequently
contributes to the development of positive perceptions that
are necessary for learning [15].
Games are considered a profoundly motivating approach
to learning that contains elements of individualistic and
team competition. Through games, participants are
provided with a constructed experience which enables
them to learn from what they do, rather than what they are
[1]. Since games enable students to think about their peers’
behaviors and to reinforce their team skills, students also
facilitate their own learning [7]. Some students in this study
also stated that thanks to the games, their learning was
facilitated; they overcame their challenges, corrected their
mistakes, reinforced their learning and had an opportunity
to assess their learning. In this study, it was noticed that
some games provided an environment for healthy
competition between the students, which promoted
students’ decision-making processes. Since the decisions
made affected their progression in the game, the students
developed strategic skills. Some of the students
emphasized that the increased collaboration with their
peers was another positive characteristic of the games.
Considering the fact that the intervention of the teacher and
peers is essential for students’ development according to
Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, the use of games as a
pedagogical resource can be regarded as an important
educational activity in terms of providing the collaboration
among students [12].
In this study, five games about a unit were developed
and implemented to reveal the role of games in learning. It
might not be possible to design games for each unit.
However, various educational games can be designed using
simple and cost-effective materials, such as those in this
study, for concept-rich topics which students experience
difficulties to learn. In this way, students’ motivation to
learn, as well as some of their social characteristics, can be
enhanced. In addition, the games designed can be used for
future students.
 Universal Journal of Educational Research 6(9): 2019-2028, 2018
REFERENCES
[1] Allery, L. (2014). Make use of educational games.
Education for Primary Care, 25(1), 65-66.
[2] Aycan, Ş., Türkoğuz, S., Arı, E., & Kaynar, Ü. (2002).
Periyodik cetvelin ve elementlerin tombala oyun tekniği ile
öğretimi ve bellekte kalıcılığının saptanması. V. Ulusal Fen
Bilimleri ve Matematik Eğitimi Kongresi, Orta Doğu
Teknik Üniversitesi, Ankara.
[3] Barclay, S. M., Jeffres, M. N., & Bhakta, R. (2011).
Educational card games to teach pharmacotherapeutics in
an advanced pharmacy practice experience. American
Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 75(2), 33.
[4] Bayir, E. (2014). Developing and playing chemistry games
to learn about elements, compounds, and the periodic table:
Elemental Periodica, Compoundica, and Groupica. Journal
of Chemical Education, 91(4), 531-535.
[5] Beylefeld, A. A., & Struwig, M. C. (2007). A gaming
approach to learning medical microbiology: students’
experiences of flow. Medical Teacher, 29(9-10), 933-940.
[6] Bhaskar, A. (2014). Playing games during a lecture hour:
experience with an online blood grouping game. Advances
in Physiology Education, 38(3), 277-278.
[7] Burleson, K. M., & Olimpo, J. T. (2016). Clue Connect: a
word array game to promote student comprehension of key
terminology in an introductory anatomy and physiology
course. Advances in Physiology Education, 40(2), 223-228.
[8] Can, S. & Yıldırım, M. (2017). Eğitsel Oyunlarla Fen
Dersine “Var Mısın Yok Musun?” Atatürk Üniversitesi
Kazım Karabekir Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 35, 14-30.
[9] Cardona, T., Spiegel, C. N., Alves, G. G., Ducommun, J.,
Henriques ‐ Pons, A., & Araújo ‐ Jorge, T. C. (2007).
Introducing DNA concepts to Swiss high school students
based on a Brazilian educational game. Biochemistry and
Molecular Biology Education, 35(6), 416-421.
[10] Cardoso, F. S., Dumpel, R., da Silva, L. B. G., Rodrigues, C.
R., Santos, D. O., Cabral, L. M., & Castro, H. C. (2008).
Just working with the cellular machine: a high school game
for teaching molecular biology. Biochemistry and
Molecular Biology Education, 36(2), 120-124.
[11] Carew, M. (2018). Using a word game to test physiology
comprehension. Advances in Physiology Education, 42(3),
464-465.
[12] Cavalho, J. C. Q. D., Beltramini, L. M., & Bossolan, N. R. S.
(2018). Using a board game to teach protein synthesis to
high school students. Journal of Biological Education, 52,
1-12.
[13] Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the
behavioral sciences. 1988, Hillsdale, NJ: L. Lawrence
Earlbaum Associates, 2.
[14] Fazlioglu, Y., Bayir, E., & Günşen, G. (2016). Teaching
Preschoolers Science through Play. In E. Atasoy, R. Efe, I.
Jażdżewska & H. Yaldır (eds.), Current Advances in
Education, (603-616). Sofia: St. Kliment Ohridski
2027
University Press.
[15] Franco-Mariscal, A. J., Oliva-Martínez, J. M.,
Blanco-López, Á., & España-Ramos, E. (2016). A
game-based approach to learning the idea of chemical
elements and their periodic classification. Journal of
Chemical Education, 93(7), 1173-1190.
[16] Glynn, S. M., Aultman, L. P., & Owens, A. M. (2005).
Motivation to learn in general education programs. The
Journal of General Education, 54(2), 150-170.
[17] Gutierrez, A. F. (2014). Development and effectiveness of
an educational card game as supplementary material in
understanding selected topics in biology. CBE-Life
Sciences Education, 13(1), 76-82.
[18] Jones, J. S., Tincher, L., Odeng-Otu, E., & Herdman, M.
(2015). An educational board game to assist PharmD
students in learning autonomic nervous system
pharmacology. American Journal of Pharmaceutical
Education, 79(8), 114.
[19] Karamustafaoğlu, O. & Kaya, M. (2013). Eğitsel oyunlarla
‘yansıma ve aynalar’ konusunun öğretimi: yansımalı koşu
örneği. Araştırma Temelli Etkinlik Dergisi (ATED), 3(2),
41-49.
[20] Kavak, N., & Yamak, H. (2016). Picture chem: Playing a
game to identify laboratory equipment items and describe
their use. Journal of Chemical Education, 93(7),
1253-1255.
[21] Kaya, S. & Elgün, A. (2015). Eğitsel oyunlar ile
desteklenmiş fen öğretiminin ilkokul öğrencilerinin
akademik başarısına etkisi. Kocaeli Üniversitesi Eğitim
Fakültesi, Kastamonu Eğitim Dergisi, 23(1), 329-342.
[22] Kurushkin, M., & Mikhaylenko, M. (2015). Chemical Alias:
An Engaging Way to Examine Nomenclature. Journal of
Chemical Education, 92(10), 1678-1680.
[23] Lewis, A., Peat, M., & Franklin, S. (2005). Understanding
protein synthesis: an interactive card game discussion.
Journal of Biological Education, 39(3), 125-130.
[24] Liu, E. Z. F., & Chen, P. K. (2013). The effect of
game-based learning on students’ learning performance in
science learning–A case of “Conveyance Go”.
Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 103, 1044-1051.
[25] Lujan, H. L., & DiCarlo, S. E. (2006). Too much teaching,
not enough learning: what is the solution? Advances in
Physiology Education, 30(1), 17-22.
[26] Odenweller, C. M., Hsu, C. T., & DiCarlo, S. E. (1998).
Educational card games for understanding gastrointestinal
physiology. Advances in Physiology Education, 275(6),
S78.
[27] Ogershok, P. R., & Cottrell, S. (2004). The pediatric board
game. Medical Teacher, 26(6), 514-517.
[28] Olimpo, J. T., Davis, S., Lagman, S., Parekh, R., & Shields,
P. (2010). Learning can be all fun and games: Constructing
and utilizing a biology taboo wiktionary to enhance student
learning in an introductory biology course. Journal of
Microbiology & Biology Education, 11(2), 164–165.
[29] Osier, M. V. (2014). A Board Game for Undergraduate
Genetics Vocabulary and Concept Review: The Pathway
2028 The Effect of Using Educational Games in Teaching Kingdoms of Living Things
Shuffle. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education,
15(2), 328.
[30] Patel, J. (2008). Using game format in small group classes
for pharmacotherapeutics case studies. American Journal of
Pharmaceutical Education, 72(1), 21.
[31] Persky, A. M., Stegall-Zanation, J., & Dupuis, R. E. (2007).
Students’ perceptions of the incorporation of games into
classroom instruction for basic and clinical
pharmacokinetics. American Journal of Pharmaceutical
Education, 71(2), 21.
[32] Şaşmaz Ören, F., & Erduran Avcı, D. (2004). Eğitimsel
oyunla öğretimin fen bilgisi dersi “güneş sistemi ve
gezegenler” konusunda akademik başarı üzerine etkisi.
Ondokuz Mayıs Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 18,
67-76.
[33] Selby, G., Walker, V., & Diwakar, V. (2007). A comparison
of teaching methods: interactive lecture versus game
playing. Medical Teacher, 29(9-10), 972-974.
[34] Spiegel, C. N., Alves, G. G., Cardona, T. D. S., Melim, L.
M., Luz, M. R., Araújo-Jorge, T. C., & Henriques-Pons, A.
(2008). Discovering the cell: An educational game about
cell and molecular biology. Journal of Biological Education,
43(1), 27-36.
[35] Su, T., Cheng, M. T., & Lin, S. H. (2014). Investigating the
effectiveness of an educational card game for learning how
human immunology is regulated. CBE-Life Sciences
Education, 13(3), 504-515.
[36] Ülküdür, M. A. (2016). Proje tabanlı öğrenme etkinlikleri
ile oyun tabanlı öğrenme etkinliklerinin akademik başarı,
tutum ve motivasyona etkisi. Yüksek Lisans Tezi, Amasya
Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Amasya.
[37] Yıldız, E., Şimşek, Ü. & Araz, H. (2016). Dolaşım sistemi
konusunda eğitsel oyun yönteminin kullanılmasının
öğrencilerin akademik başarı ve fen öğrenimi motivasyonu
üzerine etkisi. Mustafa Kemal Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler
Enstitüsü Dergisi, 13(36), 20-32.
[38] Yıldız, E., Şimşek, Ü., & Ağdaş, H. (2017). Eğitsel oyun
entegre edilmiş işbirlikli öğrenme modelinin öğrencilerin
fen öğrenimi motivasyonları ve sosyal becerileri üzerine
etkisi. Journal of Kirsehir Education Faculty, 18(2), 37-54.